MARYLAND: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the US on Sunday and is set to hold talks with President Donald Trump. The discussions would focus on the Gaza ceasefire agreement as well as plans on the Middle East, Al Jazeera reported.
Netanyahu landed at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, with flags of Israel seen around the city. The meeting is expected to focus on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, also confirmed Netanyahu’s arrival.
In a post on X, he said, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington for an historic visit, the first foreign leader invited to the White House during President Trump’s second term. The U.S.-Israel friendship is strong and is getting stronger.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington for an historic visit, the first foreign leader invited to the White House during President Trump’s second term. The U.S.-Israel friendship is strong and is getting stronger 🇮🇱🩵🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/0B9fCeejXs
— Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter (@yechielleiter) February 2, 2025
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli PM’s Office shared his statement ahead of the arrival in the US.
“I’m leaving for a very important meeting with President Trump in Washington. The fact that this would be President Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader since his inauguration is telling. I think it’s a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It’s also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship”, the Prime Minister’s Office cited quoting the Israeli PM.
“In this meeting, we’ll deal with important issues, critical issues facing Israel and our region: victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages and dealing with the Iranian terror axis in all its components–an axis that threatens the peace of Israel, the Middle East and the entire world”, Israel PM Netanyahu said.
“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East. Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better”, the PM’s statement further added.
According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli PM will hold a meeting on Monday (US Local Time) with Steve Witkoff, who is the new Envoy on the Middle East in the Trump administration.
Al Jazeera noted that Witkoff has been widely credited for helping broker the Gaza ceasefire deal that came into effect in January.
Later, meetings are scheduled between Netanyahu and Trump. The Israeli PM is also expected to have a meeting with the US military leaders and members of Congress, Al Jazeera reported. These meetings will be held over several days. (ANI)